I'm able to access the cross-trainer I like so I'm fairly happy. Sixteen minutes into the session and the power cuts out. I can still pedal, so I do. But the machine has to reset itself a few minutes later, once the power is restored. Well, that was aggravating, especially since I wasn't paying attention to my mileage. Ugh. I restart and do an additional 15 minutes and expect the machine to give me a 5 minute cool down. Instead, it gives me 3 minutes. Double ugh. So today I have a 34 minute session, and no idea how much mileage... Is it going to be one of those days?
There's someone in the stretch cage so I skip that and do some push ups. Then I go back for a stretch and pull ups. But how am I suppose to stretch without aggravating my sciatica. Virtually all of my post-cardio cage stretch involves my hamstrings, and I actually hadn't realized that until today. Ugh. Even bending forward and rotating my shoulders forward involves the leg biceps! The sciatica makes my leg throb slightly as I cross my ankles when I do my pull ups. Crossing my ankles keeps me from swinging too much. Swinging makes pull ups so much harder, but keeping your body straight also requires a lot of effort. Can't win!
I go back to the mat and do another set of push ups. I had thought to raise the rep count to 75, but doing sets of 60 might be better. Laying on the mat, I stretch my lower back and do a few of the piriformis stretches that I remember. I don't really feel any tightness in my glutes, which makes me think this is a more traditional sciatica, one that originates from a problem in my sacrum. Ugh. I've probably got a healed hairline fracture there from slipping on icy steps and landing on my tailbone some 25 years ago. That's when I learned that traditional hiking boots with Vibram® soles are lousy on ice, but of course, what isn't?I do some crunches and variants for lower abs. I'm paranoid that my abdomen will become distended if I don't enforce some muscle control! And since I don't have much of a waist, it's doubly important if I want to fit into proper pants. I worry a little about the Bird Dogs and Side Planks exacerbating the sciatica, but it's only the Bird Dog that's a wee bit of an issue. More push ups. I see regulars like The Mayor, Big Mustache, Little R and I can hear LoudMouth from halfway across the gym, even with ambient music blaring, and my earbuds. Ugh. I looked up all the stretches that are NOT recommended for sciatica sufferers, and they include the cobra as well as crunches, and planks. I guess my sciatica isn't as bad as some because I can definitely still work out. I just hope I'm not prolonging the recovery period because I can't stay home and "rest." Naw...
I spend 35 minutes on the elliptical, bopping along happily to my tunes. There's no one else immediately next to me so I'm very relaxed, and drenched. I can't imagine not showering afterwards. Some women just blow dry their hair and leave. I catch a whiff of myself while doing my second set of pull ups, and yes, I need a shower and the clothes need to be laundered!I probably also stink of garlic. I've been eating a few raw cloves every day (along with zinc as a cold & flu preventative), smashed with the most wonderful garlic press ever (Joseph Joseph brand), and then mixed with olive oil and smeared on bread. Yesterday I mixed garlic into canned sardines in olive oil and ate that with some pear slices. For me, it's so much less troublesome than taking the tablespoon of apple cider vinegar! Of course, in stews I prefer to drop the cloves in whole—they're so sweet when cooked.
Back at the gym on Friday. It'll probably be another Cardio Day. I think I've done 7+ miles today.
Wednesday
35 min x-trainer
Power out at 16+ min / restart
17 min = 2.82 miles
Push Ups 60
HGPU 26
Push Ups 60
Scissors 50
Bicycles 50
Crunches 50
Bird Dogs 2 x 60s
Side Planks 2 x 60s
Push Ups 60
35 elliptical
Program 1
Miles 2.97
Calories 335
Average Heart Rate 139
HGPU 26
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